Container



Sept. 23,1930 E. HUFF 1,776,358

CONTAINER Filed 001;. 31, 1928 M INVENTOR. BY 5 i M ZdLLL 1/ MM A TTORNEYS I as Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT or FICEI ERNEST HUFI', OI MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN ?AIEB COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN CONTAINER Application filed October 31, 1988. Serial No. 318,298.

This invention relates to improvements in containers. Y

It is the primary object 'of this invention to provide an improved rim construction for a pleated container made of paper or other thin sheet material with a view to reinforc ing the margin of the container more adequately against distortion than has been possible in constructions heretofore known, while also providing a rim which will facilitate drinking and pouring from the contain er, will be self-supporting without the use of paraflin will hold in their predetermined relation the several pleats of the cup and will make possible the packaging of a large number of containers in nested relation within a relatively very small space.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bead construction such that the 0 size and shape of the bead may be proportioned to the size and shape of the container.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective of-apa er container embodying this invention bro en away to a radialse'ction to expose the rim and base construction thereof.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary de-, tail section of one form of rim embodying this invention.

the base of the "cup shown in Figure 1.

Figure is a fragmentary view in section of a container embodying this invention and having a slightly modified form of rim.

Like parts are identified by similar reference characters throughout the several views.

The container to which this invention relates is preferably made from a single sheet 40 of paper by awell-known pleating operation whereb the sides 5 of the cup are formed upwardly om the base portion 6 thereof, the sides being provided with pleats as shown at 7 having progressively increasing degrees up the excess of material in the single sheet from which the cup is formed. In accordance with this invention the unpleated bottom portion 6-of the container is preferably embossed upwardly at its center is usually bowed downwar ly under pressupport. It is found that the upwardly cm- Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail section of of overlap toward the top of the cup to take in the manner shown at 8. This has an unusual advantage in a paper article because paper is so thin and so highly flexible as to make it peculiarly subject to distortion under load and the bottom of a aper container sure of the contents of the container with the result that the container does not stand upright when laced upon a table or like bossed center 8 of the bottom portion 6 of the container not only tends to reinforce the bottom but also lifts the central portion thereof sufficiently to compensate for any slight downward convexity which may result from the introduction of material into the container. The container therefore will stand erect and will normally contact with a table only upon the annular unembossed portion of its base 6 which is immediately adjacent the periphery thereof.

The treatment of the upper marginal portion of the cup is most im ortant. As previously indicated, it is not esired to use parafiin or adhesive between the pleats or folds to hold the overlapping portions together. It becomes necessary therefore to rely upon the margin of the cup to erform this function while at the same tlme achieving the other objectives noted in the foregoing statement of the objects of this invention. Ac-

cordingly, the material is carried outwardly at 9, thence downwardly at a sharp angle at 10 in spaced relation to all other parts of the container, thence upwardly at 11in contact with the outer and upper surface of the side portion 5 of the container, and thence outwardly at 12 immediately beneath the marginal outward extension 9 above described and in contact with theunder surface thereof.

It will be noted that the construction above described comprises a marginal head for the cup which is substantially of triangular cross-section, all lines thereof being straight in cross-section. The completed margin may if desired be strengthened by a crimping operation involving the application of pressure at 15 whichslightly deforms the triangular cross-section of the bead with the re-- sult that the bottom fold between portions 100 25 sidewall -0 11 thereof is tightly creased and tends to hold its sha e more adequately than would otherwise be t e case. It is found that the triangular cross-section of the marginal bead formed in accordance with this invention is well adapted to' satisfythe objects of .the mvention as hereinbefore specified. It

not onl holds the pleats together, as would a bead 0 any other shape, ut in addition a j sure than would be the case if they were curvilinear, since a curved sheet of paper vention whet will readily bow and will yield b increasing its convexity under pressure. a stiffness of a marginalbead made in'accordance with this invention is particularly apparent under downward pressure, the portlon 10 of the bead serving"v as a brace to support the more or'less flat upper surface 9 thereof from the the container which is reinforced b the portions 11 and 12 of the bead. The who e structure forms a truss-like assembly which highly resists distortion. It is broadly immaterial to the present iner the up er surface of the bead is perfectly flat in a orizontal plane, as shown in Figure 2, or occu ies a osition inclined from the horizonta In igure 4 I have shown this upper -element9 of the bead to be u wardly inclined. This construction 7 results m flattening to a considerable degree the triangular form-of the head as compared with the form illustrated in Figure 2 which will be noted to be almost a right-angle triangle. Due to the fact that the angle of the' bead with the side of the cup is more obtuse in Figure 4 than in Figure 2 it willwbe found that the Figure 4constructionwill not be uite as rigid as that shown in Figure 2 alt ough some of the other advantages of the triangular head will be somewhat enhanced.

' The trian ular form of head is peculiarl well adapts for use in containers from who liquids-are to be drunk or cured. The contour of the trian ar has is not only better fitted to the lips t an the margin of any other aper container with which I am familiar at it is a h d f i th encouragin t e ripping 0 some 0 I e liquid dowfi the sides of the container. In

these particulars the-more acute-angle at the outer Ipgaripheral margin of the Figure 4 head may I found referable to the less acute angle of the periphery of the bead shown in F6 re 2. I j

n the matter. of nesting the. containers tedspaceitis also desirable to reduce the depth of the trim sucrose-section of the bead as far as is conslstent with the deadapted to pour liquids without sired-strength thereof. Regardless of the particular contour of the triangular bead. it

will be found possible to nest a greater numberof cups-with such beads in a given space than could occu 'y such s ace if the beads were otherwise ormed. ith the Figure 4 construction, however, the number of cups which may be so nested will exceed the numher of cups of the Figure 2 construction which may be packaged in like space. 'It will be apparent therefore that the particular shape of the triangular bead may be varied as desired in accordance with the attributes most sought for t heparticular container to be made.

It is also possible to use adhesive material 1 but that it also resists lateral pressure ten v ing to distort or collapse the cup. It is found that in this particular bead herein disclosed produces results which are particularly noticeable in-the triangular-form but are not necessaril restricted to that form.

It will e obvious that a heap of which the upper surface or marginal fla ige is substantially rectilinear in cross section and is braced in any way from an intermediate portion of the on wall will have greater strength than a bea which is not thus rectilinear in cross section at its top surface or is not so braced. In fact the bracing is of exceptional importance where the bead or marginal flange portion of the cup is rectilinear in cross section since any displacement of the flange will tend to make distortionof the cup possible, whereas if theflange is held substantially in its original position its rectilinear shape will resist distortion of the rimof the cup to a degree which is remarkable in an article of p'apen v a claim:

.7 1. A new article of manufacture comprisspace from the topv thereof, "and thence along I said side wall in contact therewith whereby to provide a bead of generally triangular cross-sectionintegral with the top margin of said Welland-braced from an intermediate portion thereof,the bend between. the outwardly extended and return 'ortions of said bead beingrelatively sharp w ereby to facilitate drinking and pouring from said container.

2. The combination with a paper receptacle comprising integrally a round bottom and an annular pleated wall, of aperipheral reinforcing bead integral with the up er. margin of said wall and com rising a. rst portion extending upwardly rom said wall at an obtuse angle therewith, a second portion bent back at an acute angle and extending rectilinearly toward a part of said wall spaced from the top thereof, and a third portion extending upwardly at an acute angle from said second portion along said wall, said last mentioned angle being sharply creased, and a fourth portion immediately beneath said first portion whereby to provide a generally triangular contour in cross-section with an outwardly exposed apex formed to facilitate drinking and pouring and braced with comparative rigidity from said wall notwithtending rectilinearly to and engaging the cup I standing the formation of said wall and bead from light material such as paper or the like. I 3. A substantially circular paper cup having a rim substantially triangular in cross section formed by an outwardly directed flange having an extension bent in a downward and inward direction to form an apron wall for the rim extending to and engaging the cup wall and spaced from said flange.

4. A substantially circular paper cup made from a single blank having a bottom, pleated side with overlaps, and a rim substantially triangular in cross section formed by an outward y directed flange having an extension bent in a downward and inward direction to form an apron wall for the 'rim extending to and engaging the cup wall and spaced from said flange.

5. A substantiallycircular paper cup having a rim substantially triangular in cross section formed by an outwardly directed substantially rectilinear flange having an extension bent in a downward and inward direction to form an apron wall for the rim exwall and spaced from said flange.

6. A substantially circular paper cup having a rim substantially triangular in cross section formed by an outwardly directed flange having an extension bent in a downward and inward direction to form an apron wall for the rim extending'to and engaging the cup wall and spaced from said flange, said apron wall joining an upwardly directed portion bent therefrom and having one surface engaging the cup side below said flange.

A substantially circular paper cup having a rim substantially triangular in-crosa section formed by an outwardly directed flange having an extension bent in a downwardand inward direction to form an apron wall for the rim extending to and-engagin the cup wall and spaced from said flan sai apron wall joining an upwardly d portion bent therefrom and having one surface enga 'ng the cup sidebelow said flange, the said ange, apron wall, and last-mentioned wall being substantially rectilinear.

- flange having an extension bent 'in a downward and inward direction to form an apron wall for the rim extending to andengagin the cup wall and spaced from said flange, sai apron wall joining an upwardly directed portion bent therefrom and having one surface engaging the cup side below said flange, said last-mentioned wall extending upwardly along the cup side toward said flange and joining a wall bent outwardly therefrom beneath and in engagement with the .undersurface of said flange.

10. A paper cup having side walls downwardly convergent along substantially straight lines and a rim substantially tr1-' angular in cross section formed by an out wardly directed substantially rectilinear flange having an extension bent in .a downward and inward direction to form an apron wall for the rim extendingrectilinearly to and engaging the cup side walls and spaced from said flange.

ERNEST HUFF. 

